Agriculture: Hill Farm Allowance

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many hill farm allowance claimants were overpaid for 2006; and what was the total cost of the overpayment.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The on-going reconciliation work being carried out by the Rural Payments Agency suggests currently some 3,300 hill farm allowance claimants were overpaid for 2006 to a total overpayment value of around £1.5 million.
	A proportion of these would be below a de-minimis repayment level.

Agriculture: Hill Farm Allowance

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many of the hill farm allowance claimants live on common land; and what assessment has been made of the implications of the proposed overpayment clawback.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Information about the number of hill farm allowance (HFA) claimants living on common land is not held by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
	A total of 2,200 (31 per cent) HFA claimants have included some common land as part of their claim for 2009 HFA. The RPA can consider individual circumstances where it is necessary to recover overpayments.

Agriculture: Hill Farm Allowance

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the Rural Payments Agency first discovered that overpayments of the 2006 hill farm allowance had been made; and why the overpayments were not corrected at that time.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: During 2006, and in order to effect swift payments, customers received hill farm allowance payments before single payment scheme claims had been fully validated. Claimants were advised of this at the time and the potential need for later correction.
	The Rural Payments Agency has been working to reconcile and correct the data since.

Agriculture: Hill Farm Allowance

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the hill farm allowance team in the Rural Payments Agency has checked with other sections of the Rural Payments Agency to discover whether there are underpayments that could be offset against overpayments.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The hill farm allowance (HFA) team at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is continuously working with other sections of the RPA to consider whether there is scope to offset outstanding underpayments under other schemes against HFA overpayments.

Agriculture: Small Businesses

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether farms, horticultural enterprises and smallholdings that comply with the definition of a small business in the United Kingdom are so considered for all purposes.

Baroness Vadera: There are two main definitions of a small company. First, there is a definition in the Companies Act 2006 that allows for companies that meet the criteria to benefit from simplified accounting requirements. These criteria are derived from the European Union (EU) fourth company law directive. Secondly, the EU has a definition that applies to all Community policies that favour small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the definition used when applying the EU's state aid rules. There are separate rules for the agricultural sector to reflect the specific challenges faced by small firms involved in agricultural production.
	For both definitions the key criteria used are number of employees, turnover and annual balance sheet. There is no differentiation between business sectors; therefore, farms, horticultural enterprises and smallholdings that meet the necessary criteria would be deemed to be small businesses.

Assisted Dying

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Maria Eagle, on 11 November (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 241WH) that the legal position on assisted dying is clear, whether a doctor may lawfully administer what she reasonably believes to be appropriate medical treatment to her terminally ill patient, in accordance with the patient's wish to avoid extreme suffering, even though its probable effect will be to shorten the patient's life.

Lord Darzi of Denham: There is a consensus among clinical experts that accurate and effective use of strong opioid drugs to ease suffering does not cause a reduction in a patient's life expectancy: that is, there is no risk of harm if they are administered correctly.

Banking

Lord Jopling: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much public money has been made available to (a) the Royal Bank of Scotland, and (b) HBOS, in the past six months.

Lord Myners: RBS Group plc, Lloyds TSB plc and HBOS Group plc have announced the terms on which they are participating in the Government's recapitalisation scheme. Details are set out in the placing and open offer agreements that were placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament on 18 November.
	These banks are also eligible to use the Government's credit guarantee scheme (CGS). By the end of December, in total, participating banks will have accessed some £100 billion of funding under the CGS. Figures for individual banks are confidential.

Banking: Business Loans

Lord Chadlington: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What special measures they are putting in place to help entrepreneurs and small businesses secure loans in the present economic climate.

Baroness Vadera: I regret the delay in responding to the noble Lord. I will write to him shortly to answer his Question and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Banking: Iceland

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to help British non-residents with bank accounts in the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, following the Icelandic financial situation.

Lord Myners: In line with usual constitutional arrangements, the UK Government will represent the Crown Dependencies in its negotiations with Iceland.
	Arrangements for depositors in banks in the Isle of Man remain a matter for the Government of the Isle of Man. Deposits with Kaupthing, Singer & Friedlander (Isle of Man) will be subject to the Isle of Man Deposit Compensation Scheme.
	Arrangements for depositors in banks in the Channel Islands are a matter for the Government of the Channel Islands.
	The Financial Services Compensation Scheme would pay compensation to eligible claimants up to the limit of £50,000 per person per authorised institution in the UK. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme does not cover deposits with banks outside the UK, other than deposits with branches of UK banks established in other EEA states under EEA rights. Other deposits, including those made by UK residents or by British citizens resident outside the UK, would be covered by any locally operated deposit-guarantee schemes.
	Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) is a subsidiary of the Icelandic bank, Kaupthing, and not a branch of a UK bank. Deposits are therefore covered by the guarantee scheme operating in the Isle of Man and not the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Banking: Iceland

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what date Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander (KSF) Bank Isle of Man or KSF Bank United Kingdom first informed United Kingdom banking regulatory authorities of their concerns about the KSF parent's banking operations in Iceland.

Lord Myners: The FSA intensified its supervision of deposit-taking by Icelandic banks (including through increased contact with firms, more frequent visits and enhanced reporting requirements) from the beginning of 2008. As the economic situation deteriorated during the year, and particularly since September, the FSA worked increasingly with the banks concerned. As the Memorandum of Understanding between HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the FSA sets out, the FSA informs the tripartite of its concerns on a regular basis.
	Arrangements relating to Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander (Isle of Man) (KSF IOM) are a matter for the Government of the Isle of Man. KSF IOM is not a subsidiary of KSF in the UK, but of the Icelandic parent company. Oversight of KSF IOM is the responsibility of the Isle of Man's Financial Supervision Commission, and deposits with KSF IOM will be subject to the Isle of Man's deposit compensation scheme.

Banking: Iceland

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements were in place for monitoring the ability of Icelandic banks operating in the United Kingdom to draw on compensation from the Icelandic compensation scheme in the event of a banking default.

Lord Myners: The EC deposit guarantee scheme directive provides a framework through which depositors are able to claim compensation in the event of a bank default. All EEA (European Economic Area) member states must ensure that the deposit guarantee scheme directive is implemented in their territories. It will be up to the member state concerned to comply with the directive and ensure that its scheme has sufficient resources (whether through collecting levies from other firms, borrowing, pre-funding or a combination of those options) to pay all claims on it, including those from depositors in other member states.

Banks: Charges

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Statement by Lord Mandelson on 22 October (Official Report, House of Lords, cols. 1143—45), whether the terms they have stipulated for underwriting banks prevent those banks from making a service charge that exceeds the cost of providing the service or charging for implementing changes to service agreements which are at the behest of the bank.

Lord Myners: On 8 October this year, the Government announced a package of measures to support stability of the financial system, protect ordinary consumers and businesses, and safeguard the interests of the taxpayer.
	As part of their investment, the Government agreed a range of commitments with the banks supported by the recapitalisation scheme. These conditions are set out on the HM Treasury website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_105_08.htm.

Bees

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) what is the estimated value of pollination by bees in the United Kingdom; (b) how many beekeepers and bee colonies there are in the United Kingdom; (c) what is the average annual harvest per hive; and (d) what is the average annual income for beekeepers.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: (a) An economic evaluation carried out by ADAS Consulting Ltd in 2001 estimated the value of honey bees to commercial pollination at approximately £120 million, although a recent reassessment taking into account changes in crop areas and values suggests that the value may have increased to some £165 million.
	(b) There are estimated to be 44,000 beekeepers managing 274,000 colonies.
	(c) The annual average honey harvest is 25-30Kg per colony but can be higher or lower depending on a number of factors. It is likely to be significantly lower this year because of the poor spring and summer weather and disease problems.
	(d) The ADAS study estimated the total annual revenue for beekeepers to be £11.3 million from honey production, pollination fees and other sources. Using the numbers of beekeepers estimated in the study, commercial bee farmers had an average income from these activities of £6,500 per annum, while non-commercial beekeepers had an average income of £264 per annum.

Benefits: Disability Living Allowance

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 12 November (WA 130-31), what is the maximum annual payment that can be made to a disability living allowance recipient; what information they collate on the types of illness suffered by disability living allowance recipients; and why alcohol dependency is not included.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The maximum payment of disability living allowance that can be made to a person in a 52-week period is £5,915. This can be paid in addition to any income from other benefits or from employment.
	Information on the main disabling condition of disability living allowance claimants is currently collated using one of 49 codes. Under this coding system, people with alcohol dependency are grouped together with those who are dependent on drugs and those with alcoholic liver disease. It is, therefore, not possible to disaggregate alcohol dependency from those other conditions.
	From 20 October 2008 improvements in the use of information technology allowed the Department for Work and Pensions to expand the number of disability codes used for disability living allowance purposes to allow for a more detailed analysis of conditions, including the differentiation between those associated with dependency or abuse of alcohol and drugs.

Bloody Sunday: Saville Inquiry

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ask Lord Saville of Newdigate to publish the reasons for not completing the report of the Bloody Sunday inquiry for a further year.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government share the public concern about the recent delay to the report of the Bloody Sunday inquiry. The inquiry is independent of government and any decision on whether to publish such information would be a matter for the inquiry. Lord Saville informed Government of this delay in a letter dated 4 November 2008. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The Northern Ireland Office has drawn the noble Lord's suggestion to the attention of the inquiry.

Children: Care

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures they propose to improve the well-being of children, having regard to the United Nations' classification of the United Kingdom as regards the care of children.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Promoting the well-being of children is at the heart of the Children's Plan (2008) which sets out the Government's ambitions for children and their families over the next 10 years.
	Under Section 10 of the Children Act 2004 local authorities and their relevant partners are required to co-operate to improve children's well-being. Well-being is defined in the 2004 Act in a way that reflects the five Every Child Matters outcomes including physical and mental health, emotional well-being and protection from harm and neglect. Subsequently, the Education and Inspections Act 2006 placed a duty on schools to promote the well-being of their pupils.
	The Government have also introduced three measures of children's well-being in their local authority national indicator set, which is a reflection of the importance the Government attach to this issue.
	One of those measures refers particularly to the emotional health of looked after children as local authorities are under a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of these children. In 2007 the Government published an ambitious reform programme in the Care Matters White Paper, which seeks to improve outcomes for looked-afterchildren. Measures to improve looked-after children's well-being are at the heart of this programme and include new statutory guidance on the health of looked-after children which will emphasise the centrality of promoting well-being to ensuring successful outcomes for these children.

Climate Change: Emissions

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 22 October (WA 108), how the European Union emissions trading scheme allowances for the cement, food, drink and tobacco and offshore sectors in 2007 compared with the emissions produced in those sectors; and, if the allowances were greater than the emissions, whether they were allocated at the expense of other sectors; and whether any balance can be carried forward to 2008.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The table below shows that all the sectors in question have a greater number of allowances than verified emissions for 2007.
	
		
			  Allocations 2007 Emissions 2007 Difference between A&V Difference of Verified 
			 Offshore 18.9 14.8 4.1 27.7% 
			 Cement 9.1 8.0 1.1 13.7% 
			 Food and Drink 2.4 1.9 0.5 25.7% 
		
	
	Note: Allocations and verified emissions in amounts of millions.
	The UK decided to use a two-stage approach to allocate allowances to EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) participants. First, the total number of allowances was allocated to sectors. The sector-level allocations are then further distributed to individual installations within those sectors.
	The UK decided that the allocation of allowances to the sectors covered by the EU ETS should be determined as follows:
	all sectors other than large electricity producers were allocated allowances equivalent to their projected business-as-usual emissions, taking into account the potential, including technological potential of sectors to reduce their emissions, a deduction for estimated new entry and a contribution to the combined heat and power ring-fence of the new entrant reserve; andthe LEP sector was allocated the remainder of the total of the overall UK cap, taking into account a deduction for the amount of allowances to be auctioned and a contribution to the NER. Thus, the LEP sector will receive a reduced allocation to account for the carbon savings the UK expects the trading sector to deliver.
	LEP are relatively insulated from international competition and are able to pass the costs of carbon to consumers in the form of higher electricity prices. The sector is therefore able to face a reduction in its allocation without a substantial impact on its competitive position. For this reason, the UK decided that the LEP sector should receive a lower level of free allocation. All others sectors were treated equally in terms of the allocation methodology.
	Phase II allows unlimited banking between compliance years within the phase and from Phase II will be allowed into Phase III. Phase I allowances could not be carried over to Phase II.

Court Fees

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, following the death of Baby P, they will review the level of court fees required of local authorities to take cases before the family proceedings court and the Family Division of the High Court, so as to remove any discouragement created by the fees from presenting cases of potentially endangered children for decision by judges.

Lord Bach: Children's services have a statutory obligation to protect the interests of children and it would be unlawful for them to avoid taking court proceedings for financial reasons. There is no evidence to suggest that local authorities would act inappropriately due to financial pressures. However, Lord Laming's review will be examining this issue in particular.
	Forty million pounds per annum was transferred to local authorities to cover the costs of the increased court fees. This is expected to exceed the total court fees payable as a result of the increases.

Credit Cards

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proposals they have to ensure that credit card companies clearly inform their clients of the due payment date on their monthly statement.

Baroness Vadera: On 1 October 2008 new post-contractual regulations under the Consumer Credit Act 2006 came into force. Lenders are now required to provide their customers with clearer information on the state of their credit card accounts. Statements must now include the amounts and dates of payments and interest and charges within the period of the statement. Information provided must also detail the consequences of failing to make payments or of only making minimum payments.

Crime: Prison Sentence

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have established the purpose of a prison sentence.

Lord Bach: There are five purposes of sentencing, which are set out in the Criminal Justice Act 2003:
	the punishment of offenders;the reduction of crime (including its reduction by deterrence);the reform and rehabilitation of offenders;the protection of the public; andthe making of reparation by offenders to persons affected by their offences.
	In addition, prison rules state that "the purpose of the training and treatment of convicted prisoners shall be to encourage and assist them to lead a good and useful life". While individual sentencing decisions are entirely a matter for the courts within the limits provided by Parliament and having regard to any sentencing guidelines, the Government have made clear that they believe prison should be reserved for serious, dangerous and seriously persistent offenders and that other offenders are normally better punished in the community.

Crimes Against Humanity

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 11 November (WA 119), how many of the cases considered by the war crimes team in the UK Border Agency have resulted in (a) refusal of entry into the United Kingdom, (b) deportation or removal to another country, (c) referral for police inquiry, (d) no further action because the person was cleared of involvement in any crime, and (e) other action.

Lord West of Spithead: Between 2004 and October 2008, the war crimes team has been notified by other parts of UK Border Agency of 138 adverse decisions made following a recommendation from the team. This will include decisions to refuse entry, indefinite leave to remain and naturalisation, and exclusions from refugee protection. It is not possible to break this figure down further into separate decision categories without incurring disproportionate costs. Separate records show that 22 cases have been referred to the Metropolitan Police for inquiry.
	These figures are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Cuba: Prisoners

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they have not answered the Question for Written Answer tabled on 17 June by Lord Patten (HL4300); and when they will answer it.

Lord Malloch-Brown: That Question was answered on 24 November, Official Report, col. WA234. I apologise for the delay in answering the noble Lord's Question, which was due to an internal administrative error.

Cyprus

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 4 December 2006 (HL 92—3), what has been achieved as a result of the €38.1 million provided by the European Union Commission and the second tranche of €120 million, as approved by the PHARE committee; how these funds and related schemes were administered; and by whom.

Lord Malloch-Brown: These amounts were part of the overall €259 million of aid which the EU is providing to the Turkish Cypriot community, to help bring them closer to Europe and so facilitate a settlement. This money is being used to fund practical projects, developed in partnership with the Turkish Cypriot community, aimed at improving the quality of life of ordinary Turkish Cypriots. As of May 2008, €105 million had been tendered for, €49 million contracted and €12 million spent. While implementation of the regulation has been slower than originally anticipated, the benefits are already being felt. The European Commission is responsible for administering the assistance. A programme team of Commission officials and contract agents was set up in 2006 to implement the programme as part of the Task Force Turkish Cypriot Community within DG Enlargement.
	Ongoing projects include a successful programme of scholarships for Turkish Cypriot students and teachers to study and teach in EU universities, grant schemes for civil society and targeted support to farmers to upgrade their equipment. Full details are contained in the Commission's most recent annual report on the implementation of the financial aid package. We agree with their conclusion that the current settlement negotiations "will create a positive framework for facilitating the implementation and the success of this aid package" and look forward to rapid implementation of outstanding projects.

Data Loss

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the Information Commissioner's remarks about the increased loss of confidential information on databases and the danger of abuses arising therefrom.

Baroness Vadera: I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement by the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster regarding the data handling report, 25 June 2008 (Official Report, col. 26 WS).
	Data loss is a problem both for the private and public sector and the Government take the loss of personal data very seriously. The number of breaches reported to the Information Commissioner's Office reflects the Government's commitment to transparency on data security incidents, as set out in the Data Handling Report. In addition to greater transparency and scrutiny, the Data Handling Report puts in place clear accountability within departments, specific technical measures, and a process of cultural change to ensure the appropriate handling of personal data.

Data Loss: Rosemary Nelson Inquiry

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 30 June (WA 5) concerning the Rosemary Nelson inquiry, when the Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation into loss of the disk concluded; and what action it has taken as a result.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: This is an operational matter for the PSNI. I have asked the Chief Constable to reply to the noble Lord directly, and will arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much aid they have given the Democratic Republic of Congo in each of the past five years.

Lord Tunnicliffe: Details of the UK's bilateral assistance and imputed multilateral assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the past five years for which data are available are laid out in the tables below.
	
		
			 Table 1: UK Total Bilateral Gross Public Expenditure on Development 2003-04 to 2007-08, (£thousands) 
			 Year DR Congo 
			 2003-04 161,657 
			 2004-05 36,585 
			 2005-06 58,832 
			 2006-07 79,284 
			 2007-08 82,910 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Imputed UK Share of Multilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) 2002-03 to 2006-07, (£ thousands) 
			 Year DR Congo 
			 2002-03 55,258 
			 2003-04 30,563 
			 2004-05 27,030 
			 2005-06 39,274 
			 2006-07 27,840

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will press the United Nations Security Council to approve a reinforcement of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo force in eastern Congo before the December mandate discussions; and
	What assessment they have made of the likelihood of reinforcements reaching the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the next few weeks; and what considerations led the Prime Minister to state that 3,000 extra troops are required; and
	Whether any countries have offered a specific number of troops for the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and, if so, what assessment they have made of the number offered, how well-equipped they are, and how soon they could be in place; and
	What assessment have they made of the timeframe needed for reinforcements to reach the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and
	Whether the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sufficient capacity until any reinforcements have been deployed; and whether a European Union force could be deployed until such reinforcements are forthcoming; and
	What efforts they are making to encourage other states (a) to contribute troops to the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) if its mandate is revised; and (b) to secure short-term reinforcements of MONUC.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The UK co-sponsored UN Security Council resolution 1843, which was adopted on 20 November, authorised an increase in the UN mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo's (MONUC) force levels of 2,785 military and 300 police. These additional resources were requested by the UN Secretary-General to reinforce MONUC's presence in North Kivu allowing the mission, inter alia, to bolster its capacity to protect civilians; to maintain zones of separation between rebel groups and to increase the mission's mobility. We are pressing to ensure that deployment is as quick as possible. We are working with the UN and international partners to ensure that these additional resources are found and deployed in theatre as soon as possible. Although the UK is not in a position to contribute troops to MONUC given our existing military commitments, we are considering what staff, logistics or other help we can provide to MONUC and to potential troop contributors. We understand that the UN has received expressions of interest from several countries. It is a matter for the UN and the countries in question to announce publicly if they will contribute troops. Clearly it is vital that any troops are capable, correctly equipped and able to deploy quickly.
	MONUC now has 95 per cent of its troop strength deployed in the east of the DRC following internal reorganisation of the mission, reinforcing its capacity to protect Goma and other areas of North Kivu until new resources arrive. An EU force is not currently under consideration, although we will keep this under review. We believe that any countries, including individual European countries, willing to contribute troops should deploy to MONUC, which has an existing command structure and logistical support in place.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will take steps to strengthen the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines for British and other European companies deriving income from Congo's natural resources; and whether they will make adherence to the guidelines a condition for all companies that receive United Kingdom export guarantees or government contracts.

Baroness Vadera: The OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises are negotiated at OECD level and the UK will participate fully in any future renegotiation of the guidelines.
	The UK Government are considering ways to strengthen their approach to human rights and weak governance zones through the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises. This process includes consulting our stakeholders, which will start with a stakeholder seminar on the implementation of the guidelines in relation to human rights and weak governance zones on 11 December.
	The preface to the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises states that they are "voluntary principles and standards for responsible business conduct". ECGD's existing policy, in its assessment of requests for cover by companies in all countries, such as Congo, that can borrow from the World Bank only on highly concessional terms, requires adherence to its business principles (which includes compliance with international standards on environmental and social impacts and the risk of debt sustainability) and take account of the consistency of the operations of those companies with the recommendations contained in the guidelines.

Discrimination

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by Lord Darzi of Denham on 11 November (WS 40), what is the difference between age discrimination and unfair treatment based on age.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The recent Written Statement made a distinction between age discrimination as a legal term relating to the areas that would be covered by a legal ban, which we have announced will include the provision of goods, facilities and services and the exercise of public functions, and unfair treatment based on age, which could describe treatment that can occur in every aspect of life, including in areas not covered by discrimination law.

Electoral Register: Internet

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, Michael Wills, on 23 October (Official Report, House of Commons, 559-60W), what the impetus for the development of a co-ordinated online record of electors was; who will benefit from its existence; how it will be kept up to date; who will maintain it; what will be the annual running cost of the project; and how it will be funded.

Lord Bach: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 placed new obligations on political parties and the checking of the eligibility of donors. The Electoral Administration Act 2006 provided the legislative framework for the co-ordinated online record of electors (CORE) system. The objective of CORE is to produce a single, authoritative record of electoral registration data that could be accessed by political parties and the Electoral Commission for the purpose of checking the legality of donations. The system will also supply data to authorised users, and could be used to detect duplicate registrations.
	While the detailed specifications of the system are still to be finalised, it is expected that the central record will be updated on a monthly basis by local authorities sending the necessary information to the CORE information system.
	The CORE system will be maintained by the CORE keeper. Section l(10) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 provides that "the person designated as a CORE keeper must be a public authority". The Electoral Commission is the preferred choice to fulfil this role. If the commission is the CORE keeper then funding would be made available through Speaker's Committee. The CORE project has been allocated a total of £11.7 million to implement the CORE service. The annual running costs of the CORE keeper have been estimated at £1.3 million per year, although it will be impossible to provide actual running costs until user requirements have been finalised and costed in detail. Throughout 2008 we have been meeting with our stakeholders, gathering requirements, with a view to publish a high-level statement of requirements by the end of March 2009, with a detailed analysis of costs versus benefits by the summer of 2009.

Energy

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the objectives of the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust; what is their corporate status; how much they receive in grants from the Government; and for what purposes.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust are independent private companies limited by guarantee.
	In 2007-08, the Carbon Trust received £95.5 million in grant funding from the Government to deliver our objective of accelerating the move to a low-carbon economy by helping organisations reduce their carbon emissions and develop commercial low-carbon technologies. In 2007-08, the Energy Saving Trust received £38 million in grant funding from the Government to deliver their objective to encourage and promote the sustainable and efficient use of energy in households, as well as low-carbon transport infrastructure.
	The trusts have separate funding arrangements with the devolved Administrations.

Energy

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the responsibilities of the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust for supporting local authority housing energy-saving measures; what are their loan schemes for energy efficiency in business; and what support they provide for microgeneration.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Energy Saving Trust has two key local authority services for housing: "Practical Help" and the One-to-One support programme. These services provide advice and support through web-based materials, training and consultancies to local authorities. They also provide individual support to review local authority performance on climate change mitigation and implement their action plans.
	Through the local authority carbon management programme, the Carbon Trust provides councils with technical and change management support and guidance to help them realise carbon emissions savings. The primary focus of the work is to reduce emissions under the control of the local authority such as its own estate, vehicle fleets, street lighting and landfill sites.
	With regard to loan schemes, the Carbon Trust offers energy efficiency loans which are designed to reduce carbon emissions by enabling businesses to overcome the capital barrier of purchasing energy-saving equipment. Loans are interest free, provided on an unsecured basis and are typically for £5,000 to £200,000.
	With regard to microgeneration, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) administers the Government's low-carbon buildings programme, which provides grants for microgeneration. EST advice centres also provide advice on microgeneration to household consumers. The Carbon Trust supports market acceleration and directed research into microgeneration technologies, including advanced solar PV (photovoltaic) and micro-CHP (combined heat and power).

Energy

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What overheads and operating costs would be saved by merging the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Defra is conducting a review of delivery bodies which support business, consumers and the public sector in carbon reduction and resource efficiency. The review covers a number of bodies sponsored by Defra before the machinery of government changes of 3 October and includes the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust, which are now sponsored by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	The review is looking at a wide range of options, including rationalisation, and will report on options considered and possible savings in 2009.

Energy

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To which government departments the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust are responsible.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Following recent machinery of government changes, responsibility for sponsorship of the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust has transferred from Defra to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Energy: Biofuels

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To what extent biofuel crops are subsidised in Britain; what is the value of such subsidies; and what is their impact on the poorest consumers and farmers.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government do not provide subsidies for crops grown for biofuels. However farmers in the UK can claim grant under the EU's energy aid payment scheme for energy crops grown on non-set-aside land with a contract for energy end use. The scheme was oversubscribed at a European level in the 2007 claim year, resulting in a 30 per cent cutback in grant aid. UK farmers received £4.06 million grant aid on around 244,000 ha. The area planted in the UK for the 2008 claim year is just over 56,000 ha: claims when paid will be at €45 per ha, less modulation. The scheme does not differentiate between crops grown for biofuels or the generation of heat and power. As crops grown for biofuels constitute a small proportion of total crop production in the UK, the impact on the poorest consumers and farmers is likely to be negligible.

Energy: Carbon Allowances

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Joan Ruddock, on 17 October (Official Report, House of Commons, 1579W), whether county, district or borough, metropolitan and unitary councils will be required to use carbon allowances; and whether they will have to purchase further allowances at an annual sale or auction.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: An organisation will qualify for the carbon reduction commitment (CRC) if it has at least one meter settled on the half-hourly market and its total half-hourly metered electricity use was greater than 6,000 megawatt hours (MWh) between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2008.
	County, district or borough, metropolitan and unitary councils will therefore participate in the CRC where they meet the qualification threshold. Once a local authority has qualified for the CRC it will be subject to the same requirements as all other CRC participants.
	The CRC is scheduled to begin in April 2010. There will be a three-year introductory phase in which unlimited allowances will be sold at a fixed price of £12 per tonne of carbon dioxide. In the second phase, a fixed number of allowances will be auctioned. There will be no legal requirement for participating organisations to take part in a sale or auction—an organisation could choose to buy allowances only on the secondary market. Participating local authorities will therefore be required to surrender sufficient allowances to cover their annual emissions and may purchase these through either the annual sale or auction, or on the secondary market. The sale or auction revenue will be recycled to participating local authorities according to their position in the CRC league table.

Energy: Carbon Allowances

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Joan Ruddock, on 17 October (Official Report, House of Commons, 1579W), what assessment they have made of the impact of carbon allowance purchases on local authority budgets; what is the largest sum they envisage a local authority paying; and what was the average estimated cost to each council type.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government have conducted analysis that indicates that the cost of purchasing allowances will typically be 15 per cent on top of a local authority's energy bill, where the total energy bill is approximately 1 per cent of the total operating costs. However, the Government propose to recycle revenues that accrue from the sale of allowances back to participants, depending on how well they perform in the carbon reduction commitment (CRC) league table.
	The Government have modelled various scenarios for local authorities that look at low, medium and high performance in the league table. These indicate that collectively, after year 5, local authorities are expected to make net savings under these scenarios of £2.71 million, £18.48 million and £39.68 million respectively.
	The analysis is based on conservative estimates of average 2020 emission reductions of approximately 9 per cent across all CRC participants. The figure for the public administration sector, of which local authorities make up a significant part, is over 12 per cent. This demonstrates that the public administration sector as a whole would do well in the league table and as such it is reasonable to assume a neutral to high case scenario. However, in the worst case scenario of a local authority being at the bottom of the league table in year 1, the maximum cost to the local authority is expected to be no more than 1.5 per cent of its energy bill.
	In addition, in response to feedback from local authorities, the CRC has been aligned to financial year so that both the auction of allowances and recycling of the money collected occur within the same financial year. This change was made to address local authority concerns over cash flow.

Energy: Carbon Emissions

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What changes in policy they have made to take account of the United Nations 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment duties.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) identified some wide-ranging steps which Governments could take to reduce the degradation of ecosystem services. Many of these are already part of the Government's agenda, consistent with our commitment to sustainable development. For example, the MA recommends removing harmful subsidies and introducing incentive payments for land managers. The UK Government have been among the strongest advocates for reform of the common agricultural policy and we have already made significant progress by breaking the link between subsidy and production.
	Internationally, we have helped secure action for follow-up to the MA through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Government will continue to promote the importance of ecosystem services and the biodiversity that underpins them through relevant multilateral environmental agreements and through our bilateral contacts with other countries.
	Nationally, we have also taken steps to embed ecosystems thinking in policy and decision-making, consistent with the MA. Defra's ecosystems approach action plan, published in 2007, sets out a number of key actions to embed an "ecosystems approach" into the protection and enhancement of the natural environment. Essentially, this is about adopting a new way of thinking and working by:
	shifting the focus of our policy-making and delivery away from looking at natural environment policies in separate "silos" (e.g. water, air, biodiversity, etc.) towards a more integrated, holistic approach based on whole ecosystems; andseeking to ensure that the value of ecosystem services is fully reflected in policy and decision-making.
	A full update on progress against all of the actions will be published shortly on Defra's website.

Energy: Electricity Generation

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 5 November (WA 62), whether the consideration of the Mersey, Wyre and Thames estuaries indicated that any of those sites may be suitable for a tidal barrage or tidal lagoon; and when they intend to examine further the feasibility and cost of such a project; and
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 5 November (WA 62), whether the consideration of the Mersey, Wyre and Thames estuaries indicated that any of those sites may be suitable for a tidal barrage that could generate electricity and provide flood defences.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A number of organisations have investigated the feasibility of generating electricity from the tidal range resource around the UK's coasts, including in the Mersey, Wyre and Thames estuaries. A feasibility study of the Mersey estuary has been conducted by a group including Peel Environmental Ltd, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Mersey Basin Campaign. Further information is available at www.merseytidalpower.co.uk.
	A wider group has also been formed to act as an information exchange forum and to explore the potential for energy extraction from the Irish Sea and its surrounding coastline, including the Wyre estuary, called the Northwest Tidal Energy Group—for further information see www.nwda.co.uk.
	Regarding the Thames Estuary, the Environment Agency's Thames Estuary 2100 has been tasked with preparing a tidal flood risk management plan through to the end of the century. It considers future flood risk needs and does not have a remit to look at transport links or power generation. Initial findings from the project suggest that under Defra's climate change guidance the Thames Barrier, with some modification, could continue to provide protection to London for most of the century. On the basis of managing flood risk, it is therefore unlikely that a new barrier would be required in the short to medium term. However, we are aware of a business consortium, Metrotidal Ltd, which has announced proposals for a tunnel crossing between Medway and Canvey Island, which would include a surge-tide barrier, tidal power plant, and orbital rail and road links.

Energy: Emissions

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the current economic situation will affect their emissions reduction targets for 2020.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Stern review shows that the costs of action to tackle climate change are significantly outweighed by the costs of inaction, so keeping to our climate change objectives even in tough economic times is the right course of action.
	The Climate Change Bill will oblige us to make major reductions in our emissions between now and 2050, and will establish a system of carbon budgets to take us towards that point. When setting carbon budgets, the Bill requires that we take a range of factors into account, including economic circumstances, climate science and social circumstances. Decisions on how we meet our targets and budgets will similarly be based on these relevant factors.
	Our target for 2020 must also be set consistently with our commitments under the EU's climate and energy package. We are working to ensure this will be agreed next month.

Energy: Low-carbon Strategy

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the Oxford University Environmental Change Institute's low carbon strategy.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government welcomed the Environmental Change Institute's report Home Truths: A low carbon strategy to reduce UK housing emissions by 80%.This has proved a useful and timely input to our ongoing development of a new low-carbon homes strategy, on which we will consult shortly. We share the sense of urgency expressed in the report and recognise the potential of the household sector to deliver significant carbon savings.

Energy: Nuclear Power Stations

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make it a condition of selling their shares in British Energy to Electricité de France that nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom due for closure are shut down as soon as possible.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: No. The closure dates of British Energy's existing nuclear power stations are a matter for the company, in discussion with the relevant regulatory and licensing bodies.

Energy: Water Power

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to the report and accounts of the Crown Estate for 2007-08, which said that a 1.2 MW tidal energy scheme at Strangford Lough will provide renewable energy for 1,000 homes, what equivalent renewable energy output will come from a further 25 GW of offshore wind turbine capacity, as forecast in December 2007 by the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government are carrying out a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) on a draft plan for up to an additional 25 GW of offshore wind generation. It is expected that the SEA will be completed in early 2009. 25 GW of installed offshore wind capacity would generate electricity equivalent to that used by 19 million UK households. This assumes an average load factor of 40 per cent for future commercial scale offshore wind farms and is based on the average UK household electricity consumption of 4,600 kWh in 2007. However, it should be noted that the characteristics of tidal and offshore wind technologies and their role in the energy supply are very different and so cannot be easily compared.

Energy: Wind Turbines

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they collect data from offshore and onshore wind turbines to determine the efficiency of models and their downtime due to breakdowns and maintenance requirements.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government do not collect information on the efficiency of individual turbine models. Decisions on turbine selection are a commercial matter for industry.
	The DECC offshore wind capital grants scheme, launched in 2003, provides support to round 1 demonstration scale offshore wind projects, and was designed to support early-stage learning in this emerging technology and provide lessons learnt to help reduce costs for future commercial-scale projects.
	All round 1 developers are required to submit operations and maintenance reports for three consecutive years following commissioning of the wind farm. Each report details the efficiency and availability of the turbines, including information on downtime. There are currently four offshore wind farms in operation which have produced annual reports: North Hoyle, Scroby Sands, Kentish Flats and Barrow. Annual reports for the first operational year for the other offshore wind farms will be published in 2009. The reports can be found on the BERR website: www.berr.gov.uk/publications/reports/index.html.
	There are no formal requirements to publish this information for onshore wind farms. However, aggregated data on load factors are available in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES): http:/www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/statistics/source/ renewables/page18513.html.
	Information on capacity rating and monthly output for individual wind farms is available on the Ofgem website: http://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/.

EU: Lisbon Treaty

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will discuss the future of the Treaty of Lisbon with the French presidency of the European Union; and, if so, whether they will suggest taking any joint action with them and other European Union member state Governments to resolve the current situation.

Lord Malloch-Brown: It is up to the Irish Government to decide what to do next and on that basis for the EU as a whole to discuss the way forward. The Irish Prime Minister proposed at the 15-16 October European Council to come back to this issue in December to define together with other EU Heads the elements of a solution and a common path to get us there. We respect that view and look forward to seeing Irish proposals in December.

EU: Synthetic Biology

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will propose increases in European Union-funded synthetic biology programmes, including the expansion of bio-sensor investigations into new uses, at forthcoming meetings of the Council of Ministers.

Lord Malloch-Brown: I apologise for the delay in replying to your Question. We do not plan to raise this issue at forthcoming meetings of the Council of Ministers. The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is the government department with lead responsibility on this issue, and so a decision on the Government's contribution to EU-funded synthetic biology programmes would fall to them to make.

Fishing: Salmon

Lord Dear: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 25 March (WA 78—9) regarding the impact on salmon stocks of privileged fixed engines operating on the River Severn, what discussions they have since had with Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales and the European Commission on the effect of these fisheries on the conservation status of salmon in the Wye and Usk special areas of conservation.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Since March 2008, the UK Government have had no formal discussions with Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales or the European Commission on this matter. However, through the introduction of the Marine Bill, the Environment Agency, which has responsibility for regulating salmon and freshwater fisheries in England and Wales, will have the necessary powers to address these issues.

Flooding

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the reply by the Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jane Kennedy, on 23 October (Official Report, House of Commons, cols. 535—39), whether the lessons learnt in Morpeth about the operation of the early flood warning system will be applied to the rest of the United Kingdom.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The flood warning system is regularly improved to make use of new technology and respond to lessons learnt. The Morpeth floods highlighted a particular concern in the way the system is operated. The Environment Agency has already undertaken improvements to avoid a recurrence of the failure to issue a warning for the Middle Greens area in Morpeth. The lessons learnt at Morpeth have led to a review of the system and changes are under way to reduce the risk of similar failures across the whole of the flood warning system in England and Wales.

Flooding: Pitt Review

Baroness Warsi: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which recommendations of the Pitt review have been implemented.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We have already taken a number of steps in response to Sir Michael Pitt's findings and will be publishing a detailed response together with a prioritised action plan shortly.

Food: Vitamins and Minerals

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the timetable for setting maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals under Article 5 of the food supplements directive; what consultation the Food Standards Agency will hold on any such proposed maximum permitted levels; and what steps they will take to ensure that Parliament is involved in considering those levels prior to their finalisation and transposition into domestic law; and
	When Ministers will next meet Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou; what subjects they will raise at that meeting; and whether they will discuss the implications for consumer choice in the United Kingdom of setting restrictive maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements; and
	What assessment they have made of the likelihood of achieving in negotiations in the European Union their objectives for the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements; and whether the resources devoted to the negotiations by the Food Standards Agency are sufficient.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The European Commission has indicated that it intends to publish proposals for minimum and maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements in early 2009.
	In the absence of proposals, no formal assessment has been made of the likelihood of achieving the Government's objectives in European negotiations.
	In the mean time, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been holding bilateral meetings with its counterparts in other member states to promote the Government's objectives, in addition to promoting these objectives in working group meetings with the European Commission and other member states.
	We have been advised by the FSA that they have sufficient staff resource capacity to manage the process of setting maximum permitted levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements.
	When the proposals for setting maximum levels are published, the FSA will conduct a full consultation with United Kingdom stakeholders in line with the government code of practice on consultation. The FSA will ensure that copies of the consultation documents are placed in the Library.
	There are no current plans for Health Ministers to meet the European Commissioner for Health to discuss matters relating to the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements.

Fuel Poverty

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they will take to address fuel poverty in the light of rising energy prices.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for the Government. Since 2000, the Government have spent £20 billion on fuel poverty benefits and programmes and we continue to have a range of measures in place to tackle it. Rising energy prices have made the challenge more difficult, but the package that the Prime Minister announced on 11 September underlines the Government's commitment in this area. Specifically, the package included:
	an increase in cold weather payments from £8.50 to £25 per week for winter 2008-09; andan extra £74 million over the next two years to the Government's Warm Front scheme. This will enable around 40,000 additional households to see their fuel bills reduced by an average of £180 through the provision of energy efficiency measures.
	As part of the 11 September package the Prime Minister also announced the intention to increase the carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) obligation on energy suppliers by 20 per cent and to introduce a new obligation on suppliers and energy generating companies to invest in making homes more energy efficient. A significant proportion of this energy efficiency work will be targeted on the homes of those in fuel poverty.

Global Science and Innovation Forum

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they have taken to engage the devolved administrations in the Global Science and Innovation Forum.

Lord Drayson: Science and iInnovation is not a devolved matter. However, the devolved Administrations are consulted on science and innovation legislative issues. The Global Science and Innovation Forum (GSIF) was established under the 10-year Science and Innovation Investment Framework to foster co-ordination and develop strategy on the UK's international engagement in research and innovation. Members comprise Chief Scientific Advisors or equivalent from government departments and Chief Executives or equivalent from non-government organisations. The forum is open to appropriate representation from devolved Administrations. A senior official from the Office of the Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland is a member of the Core Officials Group which supports the main forum.

Government: Contractors

Lord Cotter: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which contractors of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform do not pay their suppliers within 30 days; and what representations they will make to these contractors about withholding retentions from sub-contractors, in accordance with the Office of Government Commerce's fair payment charter.

Baroness Vadera: I regret the delay in responding to the noble Lord. I will write to him shortly to answer his Question and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Government: Official Meetings

Lord Trefgarne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many official meetings have taken place between Cabinet Ministers and the following government advisers and which Cabinet Ministers have been involved (a) Lord Lester of Herne Hill; (b) Baroness Williams of Crosby; (c) Baroness Neuberger; and (d) Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington; and whether there has been any support from public funds for any of these advisers.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Information relating to internal discussion and advice is not normally disclosed. For information on the role of government advisers, I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by the then Lord President of the Council (Baroness Ashton of Upholland) to the Earl of Caithness on 1 October 2007 (Official Report col. WA205-6). Since then, Lord Lester of Herne Hill has stepped down from his role as an adviser.

Government Departments: Websites

Lord Norton of Louth: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What advice is provided to departments on the design and content of their websites; who is responsible within Government for giving that advice; and what steps are being taken to ensure consistency across websites.

Baroness Vadera: The Government issue advice to departments on the design, development and management of their websites in the form of standards and guidance that can be found on the Central Office of Information (COI) website under guidance. A new set of quality standards is being developed by COI as part of Transformational Government and in response to a recommendation in the Public Accounts Committee 16th Report, Government on the Internet. This is to ensure that citizens receive a consistent, high quality user experience when accessing any government online service. As part of the set of new guidelines, COI is developing specific guidance for website developers and managers on usable design and content, to be published by March 2009.

Health: Clinical Physiologists

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of clinical physiologists performing high-risk procedures, both invasive and non-invasive, on patients; and what guidance they have issued to primary care trusts on clinical physiologists performing high-risk procedures on patients; and
	What assessment they have made of the impact of the modernising scientific careers programme on the voluntary registration system for clinical physiology; and
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 29 October (WA 171), what is the timetable for the publication of the next-steps document and consultation on modernising scientific careers.

Lord Darzi of Denham: We expect to publish the modernising scientific careers next steps document in November 2008. It will offer a way forward for the regulation of the totality of the healthcare science workforce. The latter will be subject to a separate consultation in 2009 and all matters relating to the regulation of clinical physiologists will be considered.
	Issues relating to the current practice of clinical physiologists are for local clinical governance procedures.

Home Office: Visa and Border Policy

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they have not replied to letters from Lord Marlesford of 12 and 28 August to the Director of Visa and Border Policy at the Home Office; and when they will reply.

Lord West of Spithead: The head of the UK Border Force, Brodie Clark, responded to Lord Marlesford's correspondence dated 12 and 28 August 2008 on the 11 November 2008. I apologise for the delay in responding to this correspondence.

House of Lords: Appointments

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Government of the Republic of Ireland have been consulted in the appointment of people from Northern Ireland to the House of Lords since 1997; and, if so, why.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I am not aware of any such consultation.

Housing and Planning

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they take to ensure that images used for visual impact assessment in building planning applications are accurate; and
	What steps they are taking to ensure that images used for visual impact assessment in building planning applications comply with the Landscape Institute's guidelines.

Baroness Andrews: None. The department's Validation of Planning Applications: Guidance for Local Planning Authorities, published in December 2007, provides advice to local planning authorities on the requirements for information to accompany planning applications. The Government considered whether a visual impact assessment should be included in the guidance, but concluded that it should not. However, local planning authorities may request additional information if they consider it is needed in order to determine an application.

Immigration: Removal Centres

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether possessing a copy of Legal Action for Women's self-help Guide against Detention and Deportation is contrary to the interests of safety or security within the meaning of the detention centre rules; and, if so, whether they will place a copy of the guide in the Library of the House, identifying the passages in it which are contrary to safety or security.

Lord West of Spithead: Possession of the aforementioned guide is not contrary to the interests of safety and security within the meaning of the detention centre rules. As this is not a government publication I do not consider it appropriate to place a copy of the guide in the Library of the House.
	Any deviation in this particular case was a genuine error by the private contractor operating the centre.

IRA

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In light of recent statements by chief constable Sir Hugh Orde about dissident IRA activity, how many dissident incidents have occurred in the past three years in Northern Ireland; how many people have been charged in relation to these incidents; and how many convicted.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I am advised that there have been 15 dissident republican attacks recorded in this calendar year. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has advised that statistics for previous years are not available in the format requested. The PSNI is also unable to provide information on charges relating specifically to dissident republican attacks as they are not attributed to individual dissident groupings. The Public Prosecution Service does not record what organisation a suspect is believed to represent in its conviction statistics.

Israel and Palestine: Gaza

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will call for an immediate lifting of the blockade of Gaza to allow in urgent humanitarian supplies.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The UK Government have repeatedly made clear, including during talks with both Israeli and Palestinian officials last week, that while we support Israel's right to ensure the security of its citizens, Israel also needs to ensure that vulnerable people in Gaza have access to the full range of humanitarian supplies they need. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this position during talks with Israeli Ministers during his recent visit to Israel.
	We continue to call for the full implementation of the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, and to work with all parties towards a full reopening of all crossings so that humanitarian supplies, commercial goods and people can get through.

Israel and Palestine: Gaza

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they regard the blockade in Gaza as a collective punishment of Gazans; whether they view it as disproportionate; and whether they regard it as a violation of international law.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We have serious concerns about the Israeli restrictions on Gaza and the impact they have on the lives of Gazans. Although there is no permanent physical Israeli presence in Gaza, given the significant control that Israel has over Gaza's borders, airspace and territorial waters, Israel retains obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention as an occupying power. The Fourth Geneva Convention is clear that an occupying power must co-operate in allowing the passage and distribution of relief consignments. The restrictions currently imposed on the passage of relief supplies are, as we see it, a disproportionate response to the security threat.
	The extent of Israeli restrictions, and the threat to Israel from militants in Gaza, varies constantly. Rather than focus on whether the restrictions at any given time amount to collective punishment, we have consistently pressed the Israeli Government to comply with their obligations under international law and allow passage of relief supplies. This was the message my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary delivered in his meetings with Israeli leaders during his recent visit to the region.

Israel and Palestine: Gaza

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ask the European Union to use the human rights clauses in the European Union—Israel trade agreements to ensure that delivery of humanitarian supplies is resumed to the Gaza Strip and that its inhabitants do not suffer collective punishments.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The European Union-Israel Association Agreement is the framework for the EU's relations with Israel. Through the various sub-committees and working groups established under that agreement, the EU can address areas of concern, including human rights. We will continue to raise our concerns about human rights issues with Israel and the Palestinian Authority both bilaterally and with EU partners.
	The presidency of Council of the European Union issued a statement on 14 November, deploring the Israeli Government's decision to close border crossings into Gaza, and warning that this disproportionate action would collectively punish the entire civilian population in Gaza where the humanitarian situation is deeply worrying.
	The UK Government and the EU presidency have consistently pressed the Israeli Government to comply with their obligations under international law and allow passage of humanitarian supplies to vulnerable people in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary raised this with Israeli leaders during his recent visit to the region.
	We continue to call for the full implementation of the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, and to work with all parties towards a full reopening of all crossings so that humanitarian supplies, commercial goods and people can get through.

Israel and Palestine: Prisoners

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Following the recent announcement by the Prime Minister of Israel about releasing Palestinian prisoners and detainees, whether they will make representations to the Government of Israel to release all elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Assembly and elected mayors held without charge or trial.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We welcome the announcement by the Israeli Prime Minister on the planned release of 250 Palestinian prisoners. We will continue to urge the Israeli Government to either charge or release the elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Assembly and elected mayors.

Kuwait

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the European Union heads of mission in Kuwait have discussed the Bidoon peoples, as foreshadowed in a letter from the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Kim Howells MP (ref 64406); and, if so, with what results.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The issue of the Bidoon peoples was raised in the most recent EU heads of mission's meeting on 29 October. The Bidoon remain one of a series of human rights issues that the EU raises with the Kuwaiti authorities.

Local Government: Pensions

Baroness Warsi: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What estimate they have made of the administration costs of the local government pension scheme.

Baroness Andrews: The administration costs of the local government pension scheme can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/pensions.htm. The most recent information, for 2007-08, was published on 15 October 2008.

Manufacturing

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to assist the United Kingdom manufacturing industry in the current economic circumstances.

Baroness Vadera: The Government launched their new strategy Manufacturing: New Challenges, New Opportunities last month. It builds on established and successful support delivered by the Technology Strategy Board, the sector skills councils and the Manufacturing Advisory Service and brings together almost £150 million of new support for UK manufacturing, providing a powerful vision for UK manufacturing in the global economy. The strategy focuses on what the sector needs for success in the long term, including seizing the opportunities of the low-carbon economy, supporting skills, realising overseas opportunities, and improving the perception and understanding of manufacturing.
	In addition, we have taken action to help businesses with cash flow, with central government moving to pay all bills within 10 days at the latest. UK banks using the recapitalisation scheme have made an explicit commitment as part of their agreement with the Government that they will maintain, over the next three years, the availability and active marketing of competitively priced lending to small businesses and home owners at 2007 levels. We will help businesses improve cash flow by identifying cost savings through simple measures to use energy more efficiently. Both the Government and the banks have agreed to more than double the funding for the Business Debtline Service by 2010-11. Government schemes for access to finance such as the small firms loan guarantee (SFLG) have been strengthened.
	We are providing more help for businesses through advice services such as Business Link, which will provide free "health checks" in England for businesses to identify problems early. We have prioritised training for SMEs in England under the Train to Gain initiative to ensure employees have the skills and business knowledge they need. Finally, the regional development agencies (RDAs) are providing additional help for businesses which includes extending the availability of Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFIE) grants in some regions.

Middle East Peace Process

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made in the Middle East peace negotiations since the last quartet meeting on 9 November.

Lord Malloch-Brown: During his recent visit to the Middle East on 16 to 19 November, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary held discussions with key Israeli and Palestinian officials on advancing the peace process. Discussion centred around the need for a comprehensive approach to the Middle East peace process and the need to build support for peace by addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza and illegal Israeli settlement activity.

National Parks

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What will be the process and timetable for deciding any changes to existing national park boundaries following the forthcoming designation of the South Downs National Park.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government expect to announce in the early summer of 2009 whether or not they have decided to confirm the national park designation in the South Downs.
	I understand that Natural England will be developing policies as quickly as possible to deal with new designation or boundary variation proposals once the South Downs decision is known and any consequential legal issues are resolved.

National Probation Service: Discrimination

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will institute independent investigations into the Hertfordshire Probation Area and the East of England Probation Training Consortium, following allegations of institutional discrimination, bullying and harassment.

Lord Bach: A tribunal application is in the process of being heard. We will await the outcomes/recommendations once the tribunal process has been completed and will take the appropriate action necessary in due course.

National Probation Service: Discrimination

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many complaints of discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation there were in each area of the National Probation Service since 2004.

Lord Bach: Information has been collated locally in each National Probation Service area since 2004. National data are available only since 2006 and show the following:
	2006-07Bullying and Harassment 113Sexual Harassment 8 Racial Harassment 18Total 1392007-08Bullying and Harassment 124 Sexual Harassment 8 Racial Harassment 6 Total 138

National Probation Service: Discrimination

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the National Probation Service has a race equality scheme; and whether such a scheme has been approved and monitored by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Lord Bach: The National Probation Service has never been a body listed as subject to the specific duty to publish a race equality scheme. This duty instead lies with the 42 individual probation boards and trusts.
	At a national level the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is responsible for ensuring that the individual boards and trusts comply with the duty. The MoJ has published a race equality scheme. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has critically assessed this scheme and offered guidance.
	The National Offender Management Service—the agency of the MoJ that includes the Probation Service—and the EHRC have agreed that from April 2009 there will be a National Offender Management Service (MOMS) single equality scheme. This will include NOMS national functions regarding probation.

National Probation Service: Discrimination

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission has raised concerns about any institutional discrimination in the National Probation Service; what complaints it received about the National Probation Service in the past year; how it responded thereto; and whether it will undertake any formal investigations into the National Probation Service.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has continued to pursue concerns about the National Probation Service which were originally raised by one of its predecessor bodies, the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE). These concerned assurances in spring 2007, following a central review originally agreed with the CRE, that all 42 probation boards were compliant with the statutory duty to promote race equality schemes. The CRE's small dip sample in summer 2007 threw doubt on this, as did a larger dip sample conducted by the EHRC after it had assumed responsibility.
	Therefore, the EHRC earlier this year engaged with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) stressing its advice that statutory equality duties placed upon the Ministry of Justice included action to secure compliant practice by probation boards and trusts. In response the NOMS has this month set out its programme of guidance and training designed to secure equality schemes which comply with all the equality duties by the end of March 2009. The aim is that that practice based on sound equality schemes will prevent and combat institutional and other discrimination.
	In the past year, the EHRC has received five individual complaints against probation services concerning alleged discrimination on grounds of age, race and disability. The appropriate advice and guidance was provided in each case. Furthermore, the EHRC has said it will discuss with the NOMS its role in relation to probation boards and trusts after it received allegations of non-delivery of the race equality duty.
	The commission currently has no plans to undertake any formal investigations into the National Probation Services.

National Probation Service: Discrimination

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether ethnic monitoring takes place in the National Probation Service; and whether this is part of any equality impact assessments.

Lord Bach: The National Probation Service collects a range of ethnic monitoring data for both employment and service delivery. There is published guidance about how these should be used in conducting equality impact assessments.

New Forest National Park

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will intervene to adjudicate on those parts of the New Forest National Park management plan that may contravene the Animal Welfare Act 2006, particularly in regard to prohibiting the supplementing of equines' diets and the rules concerning stocking densities.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: As part of its consultation on its draft management plan, the New Forest National Park Authority issued guidance to clarify the circumstances in which it might conclude that there had been a change of use to recreational horse keeping, which would require planning permission.
	The guidance is about the planning system, not about the way in which horses should be looked after.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 14 November (WA 155—56) concerning the membership of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, what is the basis for saying that the Secretary of State has complied with the obligation to secure, so far as is practical, that the Commissioners as a group are representative of the community in Northern Ireland; who made the judgment that he had so complied; and when this judgment was reached.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: There is nothing further I can add to the answer given to the noble Lord on 14 November, Official Report, cols WA 155-56.

Northern Ireland Office: Taxis

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 10 November (WA 101) concerning the cost of taxis for the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum, what is the breakdown of the £2,401.40 spent on taxis.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Members of the Bill of Rights Forum completed their work on 31 March 2008. Records from the Forum Secretariat, held by the Northern Ireland Office, indicate the breakdown of monthly payments in respect of the forum's taxi account.
	
		
			 Month and year Amount invoiced (£) 
			 June 2007 69.17 
			 July 2007 47.49 
			 August 2007 42.02 
			 September 2007 57.67 
			 October 2007 63.25 
			 November 2007 153.70 
			 December 2007 185.20 
			 January 2008 241.67 
			 February 2008 271.89 
			 March 2008 599.95 
			 April 2008 1.53 
			 May 2008 559.51 
			 June 2008 108.35

Olympic Games 2012: Employment

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What contracts have been awarded to black and ethnic-minority contractors and consultants for work related to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and what is the value of those contracts.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) defines a black, Asian and minority-ethnic (BAME) business as being 51 per cent BAME-owned. Information about ethnic ownership of businesses is provided to the ODA by its contractors through self-evaluation. Contractors are not obliged to provide this information to the ODA. The ODA has worked with over 700 suppliers to date; 44 per cent of these have provided information about their ethnic ownership. Of these, 17 (5 per cent) are BAME-owned. These businesses have been awarded contracts in media, marketing, retail, and communication.
	I am awaiting advice from the ODA about the value of such contracts. I will write to the noble Lord to update him on this further and will place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The ODA promotes equality and inclusion within the organisation and within its supply chains. It has an active programme of targeted business outreach which aims to increase the number of BAME-owned businesses engaged in its supply chains. For example, the ODA, partnered with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, held an event for diverse-owned businesses in September. It has also held engagement events for businesses within the Olympic host boroughs, as well as other London boroughs and other parts of the UK with a significant minority presence, including Bristol.
	The ODA is also working with the regional development agencies and devolved Administrations to direct businesses to appropriate support services to ensure that, especially, small and medium-sized businesses, and those with diverse ownership, are equipped to compete for and win contracts in the London 2012 supply chains.

Palace of Westminster: Cold Monday Mornings

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether he will take steps to increase the temperature in the Palace of Westminster on Monday mornings during the winter months.

Baroness Andrews: The cold temperatures experienced in the Palace on Monday 25 November were caused by a failure to turn the heating back on after weekend maintenance work. This error is being investigated with a view to preventing any repeat. However, even without such errors the temperature in the Palace can be too low on Monday mornings during the winter months. Accordingly, Black Rod and I have asked the relevant personnel to ensure that the temperature in the House of Lords is raised and that it is maintained from 0830 on Mondays until 1700 on Fridays.

Palace of Westminster: Cyclists

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What area is covered by the cycle parking exclusion zone around the Palace of Westminster (excluding buildings owned by the Parliamentary Estate); and
	What is their assessment of the risk posed by cycle bombs in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster; and whether they are aware of any fatalities or serious injuries caused by cycle bombs in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.

Lord West of Spithead: It has not proved possible to respond to the noble Lord in the time available before Prorogation.

Parkland: Brockwell Park

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to the proposal to take 1,072 square metres of metropolitan open land from Brockwell Park, Lambeth, what ministerial consideration was given to the proposal, given that the letter of consent was dated 8 August, four days after the consultation period closed; and whether any independent expert advice was sought, or information requested from the London Borough of Lambeth or any objector; and
	In relation to the proposal to take 1,072 square metres of metropolitan open land from Brockwell Park, Lambeth, what action has been taken, as required by paragraph 17 of the Schedule to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Provisional Order Confirmation (Greater London Parks and Open Spaces) Act 1967, to ensure that any London parkland taken under these provisions is replaced; and
	In relation to the proposal to take 1,072 square metres of metropolitan open land from Brockwell Park, Lambeth, whether they will consider an alternative scheme drawn up by IMA Transport Planning on behalf of the Friends of Brockwell Park which takes half as much parkland; and whether they will reconsider their consent to the proposal to take 1,072 square metres.

Baroness Andrews: The Secretary of State's consent was granted under Article 17 of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Provisional Order Confirmation (Greater London Parks and Open Spaces) Act 1967 to the London Borough of Lambeth on 8 August in response to its request of 3 July 2008. On the basis of all the material received, it was decided that the benefit of the land remaining as open space was outweighed by the benefit to be derived from the proposal. The decision is final and can only be challenged by judicial review.
	Lambeth's request for consent under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Provisional Order Confirmation (Greater London Parks and Open Spaces) Act 1967 (the Act) was considered by officials at the Government Office for the West Midlands, and the letter of consent issued under the delegated authority arrangements under which officials consider cases and issue decisions on behalf of the Secretary of State.
	While there is no requirement under Article 17 for a consultation exercise to be undertaken as part of the procedure for determining whether or not the Secretary of State's consent should be granted, nor is there any requirement for independent expert advice to be sought. The London Borough of Lambeth did however put in place a site notice on 7 July 2008 as required by Article 17 of the Act providing a period of 28 days for representations to be made to the Secretary of State at the Government Office for the West Midlands. The letter of consent issued to Lambeth on 8 August refers to the number of representations made. It was decided that consent should be issued after consideration of all the material received.

Passports

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 3 November (WA 20), whether carriers are to be paid for checking the identities of passengers and crew following a police request on domestic air or sea journeys on Northern Ireland-Great Britain routes.

Lord West of Spithead: There are no plans to reimburse carriers for checking or providing information to the police about passengers and crew on journeys between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Under the terms of Section 14 of the Police and Justice Act 2006, once the police have submitted a request to a carrier, passengers and crew will be required to provide that carrier with evidence of their identity before travelling.
	We plan to hold a formal consultation exercise about the secondary legislation of these to implement arrangements next year. We will also continue to work closely with transport industry representatives to help reduce the impact upon their business.

People Trafficking

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of the decision of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in the case of R v O on 2 September and of their intention to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, they will alter the existing protocols relating to immigration offences and ensure that they are fully implemented.

Lord West of Spithead: The existing guidance to prosecutors about trafficked victims charged with immigration offences is clear and is consistent with the findings of this case. There is therefore no need for their amendment, but I agree that it is essential to ensure duty solicitors and front-line immigration officers are aware of this guidance.
	The implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings will include the introduction of a national referral mechanism (NRM) to help identify and protect victims of trafficking.

Peru and Colombia

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the European Commission's proposal to negotiate bilaterally with Peru and Colombia rather than with the Andean Community of Nations; and what is the reason for the Commission's change of position.

Baroness Vadera: The EU's general approach for free trade agreements with low-income developing countries is to pursue them on a regional basis, as opposed to bilaterally. This was set out in the European Commission's 2006 paper, Global Europe: Competing in the World.
	In the case of the Community of Andean Nations there have been some difficulties with the regional approach. These have arisen because the members of the CAN have struggled to reach a common position on the trade pillar with the European Union. Colombia and Peru have expressed a desire for those CAN countries that are ready to undertake negotiations to embark on a bilateral, fast-track approach. The European Commission has so far indicated that while it regrets the inability of CAN to find a common position, it is open-minded to this suggestion. The European Commission has stressed that next steps will be dependent on the will of EU member states.
	The UK's response to the suggestion of fast-track negotiations with Colombia and Peru is that this request should be considered seriously. Although there are benefits to the overall regional approach, it is also important that countries that are ready to proceed with a free trade agreement are not unduly penalised because the CAN as a whole is not ready to proceed. However, if a fast-track approach is followed, it is important for the UK that it is open to all members of CAN, either now or in the future, and that any solution is the result of mutually agreed arrangement.

Police: Ethnic Minorities

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many associations based on race, colour, gender or religion exist in (a) the Metropolitan Police, and (b) other United Kingdom police forces; and what they are.

Lord West of Spithead: The Home Office does not maintain records of such associations which support police officers and police staff within individual police forces. There are four associations with membership drawn from across police force areas: the National Black Police Association (NBPA); the British Association for Women in Policing (BAWP); the National Association of Muslim Police (NAMP); and the Christian Police Association (CPA).

Police: Ethnic Minorities

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any associations based on race, colour, gender or religion operating in the Metropolitan Police or other United Kingdom police forces receive grants from public funds; and, if so, what they are.

Lord West of Spithead: The Home Office does not maintain records of such associations, and funding received, which support police officers and police staff within individual police forces. The Home Office is paying grant-in-aid to two associations with membership drawn from across police force areas. They are the British Association for Women in Policing (BAWP) and the National Association of Muslim Police (NAMP).

Police: Ethnic Minority Recruits

Lord Sheikh: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 28 October (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 1469), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the assessment of the recruitment, retention and progression of minority-ethnic staff of police forces.

Lord West of Spithead: My right honourable friend the Home Secretary published the Policing Minister's Assessment of Minority Ethnic recruitment, Retention and Progression in the Police Service on 20 November 2008.
	A copy of the assessment, which sets out the considerable progress which has been made and the actions we intend to take to build on this, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Police: Ethnic Minority Recruits

Lord Sheikh: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the targets set for black and minority ethnic police officer recruitment for each police force for each of the last five calendar years.

Lord West of Spithead: My right honourable friend the Home Secretary set 10-year race employment targets for police forces in 1999. Police forces' targets and their progress against them are published every year in Race Equality: The Home Secretary's Employment Targets. The latest report, for 2007-08, which was published on 20 November 2008, can be found on the Home Office website, at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/publications/staff-equality-targets/.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the 2008—09 budget for policing in Northern Ireland was negotiated; by whom; what effect the budget shortfall announced by chief constable Sir Hugh Orde will have on recruitment; and what will be the medium effects and long-term effects on policing.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The 2008-09 policing budget was set in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review following negotiations between the NIO and HM Treasury, and the NIO and the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
	My honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Goggins) met members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board on 25 November and is hopeful that in 2008-09 the necessary adjustments can be made to meet any budget shortfall without impacting on recruitment. The prioritisation of spend within the budget is principally a matter for the chief constable in consultation with the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

Police: White Policemen's Association

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there are legal or other impediments to the formation of a white policemen's association.

Lord West of Spithead: Any police staff association, whatever its scope, must demonstrate that its objectives, membership policies, and activities further the aims and objectives of the police service. These include that associations and their members must comply with applicable statutory requirements.

Post Offices

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many post offices were active in Northern Ireland on (a) 1 October 2008; and (b) 1 October 1997.

Baroness Vadera: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the noble Lord. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Post Offices

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to ensure the future of the Post Office network.

Baroness Vadera: The Government are providing up to £1.7 billion to 2011, to maintain a national network with reasonable access to Post Office products and services and to put it on a sustainable footing. This financial support includes £150 million a year for non-commercial branches.

Prisoners: Compensation

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether compensation paid to convicted prisoners can be withheld until the prisoners' victims are informed; whether they provide assistance such that such victims can seek recompense where the convicted person subsequently acquires assets; and whether they will deduct from such compensation the costs involved in imprisoning the individuals.

Lord Bach: A prisoner may be eligible to claim compensation for any perceived wrongdoing that they suffer while detained in prison, such as an injury sustained during an accident. Each litigation case is dealt with on its merits and, so far as the evidence allows, all claims are robustly defended. The amount of compensation is determined following a full analysis of all the available evidence and taking account of the Judicial Studies Board guidelines.
	Given that the claim and any subsequent compensation is a separate incident from the original crime, it does not provide grounds for the victims of the original crime to be informed of the claim. In some circumstances, a victim may be eligible for legal aid to pursue action seeking recompense from offenders who subsequently acquire assets. Deductions are not made from prisoners' compensation to offset the costs of imprisonment.
	If the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) receives a claim for compensation from a prisoner or ex-prisoner in relation to injuries sustained as a result of negligence or breach of statutory duty, it will inform the Northern Ireland Compensation Agency accordingly. If the compensation agency has previously paid compensation to the prisoner's victim, it has the opportunity to take proceedings to recover this amount from the compensation which NIPS would pay to the prisoner.

Prisoners: Employment

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the Howard League for Penal Reform social enterprise inside HM Prison Coldingley was closed; and whether the Prison Service plans to implement lessons from the scheme about employment for long-term prisoners, including their ability to support their families and to pay tax.

Lord Bach: It is disappointing that the Howard League for Penal Reform has taken the decision to close the small design studio workshop at HM Prison Coldingley. The Prison Service has been supportive of this project from the outset. The service has been, and continues to be, willing at all times to give further consideration to any proposals to expand the same business model into other establishments.

Prisoners: Employment

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will review the decision of the Prison Service that prisoners inside prisons may not be employed by outside employers because such employment would curtail the prison governor's powers, given that prisoners in open prisons who are employed outside are subject to the prison rules.

Lord Bach: Prisoners who are employed in partnership with private industry or any other third party to carry out work while in prison are not directly employed by the organisations involved. This enables the governor to rightly retain primacy on prison control and prisoner management issues. Prisoners who are released on temporary licence to work outside the prison are also subject to prison rules. The policy remains appropriate.

Prisoners: Employment

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have plans for prisoners serving long sentences to become engaged in genuine, paid and taxed work.

Lord Bach: Significant numbers of prisoners are already meaningfully employed on a daily basis in a wide range of activities. This includes essential work producing a variety of goods for internal consumption and providing in-house services such as catering, cleaning and laundries. This reduces the cost of imprisonment and has an element of restitution while producing real work opportunities. Employment in prison also acts as an aid to good order and control and aids resettlement through skills and qualifications.
	Increasingly, prisoners are employed to carry out work in partnership with other organisations and there are a number of employer partnerships with private industry that provide not only real employment and training but also the potential for employment on release. The Government are keen to grow these initiatives so that increasing number of prisoners and society can benefit.
	Prison Service Order 4460 on prisoners' pay, a copy of which has been placed in the House Library, sets out minimum rates of pay for prisoners who participate in purposeful activity. The order requires governors and directors of contracted prisons to devise local pay schemes that reflect the regime priorities of their establishment.
	HM Revenue and Customs takes the view that because prisoners working inside prisons, whatever the category of prison, are working under prison rules, they cannot be treated as employees for tax and NIC purposes.

Prisoners: Employment

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will meet representatives of the Howard League for Penal Reform to discuss the findings of the recent independent evaluation into the social enterprise experiment employing prisoners at HM Prison Coldingley.

Lord Bach: In relation to a meeting with representatives of the Howard League for Penal Reform, my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Justice (David Hanson) visited the Barbed design studio at HMP Coldingley and met Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, to discuss its social enterprise venture in July 2007. He is willing to meet the Howard League again to discuss Professor Green's evaluation report.

Prisoners: Transfers

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What factors were involved in moving Mr Peter Chester from HM Prison Frankland to HM Prison Wakefield; and whether they took into account the interests of justice.

Lord Bach: The transfer was for operational reasons.

Public Funds

Baroness Seccombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each year since 1997, what was the overall annual cost to public funds and the annual cost per member of (a) the House of Commons; (b) the House of Lords; (c) the Scottish Parliament; (d) the National Assembly for Wales; and (e) the European Parliament.

Lord Myners: Information for the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the European Parliament for 1997-98 to 2001-02 was provided in the following Written Answers by Lord McIntosh of Haringey:
	22 July 1999 (WA 129-130);5 July 2000 (WA 133);12 July 2001 (WA 87); and21 June 2002 (WA 109).
	The information for 2002-03 onwards in respect of the House of Commons and the House of Lords is detailed below.
	
		
			 Total Cost 
			 £ millions 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 
			 House of Commons (1) (4) (5) (6) (7) 393.6 401.9 433.2 490.4 378.1 363.9 
			 House of Lords (1) (7) 79.1 85.5 145.3 113.1 109.1 305.4 
		
	
	
		
			 Per Capita Cost 
			 £ thousands 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 
			 House of Commons (2) (7) 609 622 433 759 543 522 
			 House of Lords (3) (7) 110 118 201 157 151 423 
		
	
	The devolved legislatures in Scotland and Wales are funded from within the block budgets for Scotland and Wales. The devolved Administrations publish their own budgets (8) (9), which identify the costs of their legislatures.
	Figures for the European Parliament are available from its website. (10)
	(1) Total cost for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords includes capital costs.
	(2) The figures are calculated on the assumption that there are 646 Members, of whom five decline to sit in chambers.
	(3) The figures are calculated on the assumption that there are 722 Members.
	(4) From 2004-05 onwards the figures are based on the capital charge reducing from 6 per cent to 3.5 per cent.
	(5) The 2005 general election saw additional Member salary costs of £5.4 million arising from the payment of resettlement grants, as well as the winding-up allowance costs of £3.5 million payable to those Members who stood down.
	(6) In 2005-06 there was a one-off technical adjustment of £115.8 million to recognise the full pension liability following the adoption of new accounting standard FRS1 17.
	(7) In the Main Estimate for 2008-09, a change was made to the funding of the British-American Parliamentary Group, the Interparliamentary Union, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the British-Irish Group. From that date this funding became the responsibility the House of Commons and the House of Lords. By convention the funding for the previous years is reported as if the Houses have always had responsibility for these bodies. The figures provided in the Answers to Lord Tenby's annual question for the years 2002-03 to 2006-07 will therefore differ from those reported above.
	(8) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/02/21153821/0
	(9) http://new.wales.gov.uk/cisd/finance/budgets/2007/ finalbudget07/finalbudgetmegallocationse.pdf?lang=en
	(10) http://www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/budget/www/index- en.htm_and_http://www.europarl.org.uk/

Questions for Written Answer: Unanswered Questions

Lord Howell of Guildford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why, of the 11 Questions for Written Answer tabled before or during the summer recess that were still unanswered on 18 November, nine were due for answer by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; which Ministers are responsible for the policy areas concerned; and whether there has been a reduction in the number of staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 17 June.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Answers to a number of Written Questions tabled by noble Lords since the summer have been significantly delayed, due to an administrative error. I wrote to the noble Lords recently to apologise for the delay to these Answers, which we take very seriously. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has upgraded its central system for answering Questions, with effect from the start of the new Session, to ensure that Questions are answered in a timely manner, and management information is more readily available.

Racism

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether institutional racism in the United Kingdom's political bodies is preventing black and Asian individuals from reaching high office.

Lord Bach: We do not believe that political parties in the United Kingdom are institutionally racist.
	Nevertheless, we recognise that the current make-up of our legislature is not reflective of the diverse make-up of the United Kingdom as a whole, especially with regard to the number of woman MPs and black, Asian and minority ethnic MPs.
	On 12 November, following a debate led by my right honourable friend the Minister for Women and Equality (Harriet Harman), the House agreed to establish a Speaker's Conference which will consider the under-representation of women, ethnic minorities and disabled people in the House of Commons. We look forward to the findings of the conference.

Recycling

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures they will take in response to the fall in prices for recycled materials and the resultant stock piles of plastic, paper and steel.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: On 11 November Defra, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Environment Agency issued a joint statement about the approach being taken to address the fall in prices for some recyclable materials. This made clear that our priorities are:
	to further promote waste minimisation;to maintain public confidence that recycling is worthwhile to ensure continuity of collection systems for recyclables;to focus on producing high quality marketable recyclables;to ensure any storage of recyclables does not undermine the environment or public health or the recyclability of those materials;where the traditional markets for recyclables have contracted, to encourage recovery and disposal options towards the top of the waste hierarchy, i.e. landfill, as a last resort; andto avoid actions which exacerbate the situation whilst markets stabilise.
	The Environment Agency, with government support, has issued guidance on the circumstances in which it will allow extra storage of recyclable materials in the short term. WRAP will continue to monitor markets and prices and make information regularly available. The Government will keep the situation under review to assess what further action may be necessary.

Recycling

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of the current economic situation, they will offer financial incentives to companies for developing facilities for recycling and for devising alternative energy sources for small, independent applications.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There are already incentives and support for recycling by companies through the combination of the advisory services provided especially by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP), Envirowise and Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), as well as through the landfill tax, in discouraging landfill. The Government do not believe that additional financial incentives to business are needed.
	We provide capital grant and other funding for the demonstration and pre-commercial deployment of low carbon and renewable energy technologies under the Environmental Transformation Fund, which has a budget of £400 million over the 2008-11 CSR period. This includes support for the Carbon Trust innovation portfolio. The Government also provide support for renewables through market drivers such as the renewables obligation, which is expected to be worth around £1 billion a year by 2010.
	In addition, through the research councils, the Energy Technologies Institute and the Technology Strategy Board, we provide support for energy research and development and for business innovation. The regional development agencies, devolved Administrations and the European Union also offer a range of support for research into new energy technologies.

Regional Development Agencies: One NorthEast

Lord Bates: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What budgets have been set for the One NorthEast Regional Development Agency for (a) 2009-10, and (b) 2010-11; and how these budgets compare to the budgets for 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Baroness Vadera: The budgets for One NorthEast are as follows:
	
		
			 Indicative Allocations £ million Actual Allocations £ million 
			 2009-10 2010-11 2007-08 2008-09 
			 243 208 277 245

Royal Navy: Pirates

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the rules of engagement for the Royal Navy in dealing with pirates.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: I am withholding details of rules of engagement as their release would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our Armed Forces.

Royal Navy: Pirates

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they use satellite surveillance to detect the activity of pirates.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: It would not be in our operational interests to comment on the capabilities we employ to detect and counter pirates.

Russia: Legal System

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their assessment of the comments of the International Bar Association, the International Commission of Jurists, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the State Department about the independence of Russia's justice and legal system and influences on its prosecution service.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Government continue to be concerned about human rights in Russia. Promoting the rule of law, including independence of the judiciary, is a key element of the UK's and EU's engagement with Russia. We welcome President Medvedev's public commitment to strengthening the rule of law in Russia.
	In 2007-08 HMG provided £1.2 million for projects supporting human rights, conflict prevention and civil society in Russia, which includes work on strengthening the judiciary. Concerns in these areas were raised at the last EU/Russia Human Rights consultations, which took place on 20 October 2008. The UK will also be raising concerns over the independence of Russia's judiciary and legal system at the bilateral human rights consultation planned for January 2009, and through the annual human rights report.

Schools: Budgets

Lord Quirk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each year since 2000, what has been their budget for supporting the 5 per cent of primary school pupils identified as most talented at key stage 2.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Schools funding is not hypothecated so there is no separate budget for gifted and talented learners. Total average funding per pupil in 2007-08 is £4,530; in 2000-01 the equivalent was £3,121 (both figures are cash). Primary school funding for the two years 2006-08 included elements for personalised learning, including gifted and talented learners, totalling £334 million (equivalent figures for earlier years are not available). The proportion of primary school pupils identified as gifted and talented may be greater or smaller than 5 per cent; nationally, among the three-quarters of primary schools which reported in 2008, it was 8.4 per cent.

Schools: Free Meals

Lord Quirk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each year since 2000, how many primary school pupils at key stage 2 have been eligible for free school meals; and of these how many were among the 5 per cent identified as most talented.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The gifted and talented indicator was collected for the first time via the schools census in January 2006 from state-funded secondary schools only. In January 2007 the scope of collection extended to also include primary schools. Information on a pupil's gifted and talented status is not collected from special schools.
	The information requested is in the attached table.
	
		
			 Key stage 2 pupils in maintained primary schools: number and percentage of key stage 2 pupils eligible for free school meals and of these the number and percentage identified as gifted and talented (1) 
			 Position in January each year : 2007-08 
			 England 
			 Maintained Primary Schools (2) 
			  Number of key stage 2 pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Number of key stage 2 pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and identified as gifted and talented Percentage of key stage 2 pupils identified as gifted and talented and known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 2007 373,090 23,490 6.3 
			 2008 363,410 26,860 7.4 
		
	
	Source: schools census
	(1) Includes all pupils with sole and dual registration and boarding pupils.
	(2) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	. Not available.
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Schools: Overseas Visits

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What Criminal Records Bureau checks are required of hosts when offering accommodation to visiting pupils from other schools.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: In general, we expect host families who volunteer to provide accommodation for pupils involved in visits organised by schools to undergo enhanced CRB checks. This is in line with guidance to schools in respect of volunteers involved in activities requiring an overnight stay, as set out in paragraph 4.56 of Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education. However, if an adult who is travelling with the pupil, and who is responsible for providing care for the pupil during the school trip, stays with the pupil in the host family home overnight, in such circumstances we do not consider it necessary for the host family to undergo enhanced CRB checks. In addition, we recommend that host families are given basic awareness of child protection issues and the contact details of the designated senior person within the school with responsibility for safeguarding issues.
	The new vetting and barring scheme will mean that from October 2009 those who provide care and accommodation for children under 18 for reward or in pursuance of an arrangement made by someone other than a member of the child's family will be engaged in regulated activity. This includes host family arrangements for fewer than 28 days made by schools or other organisations, including those who are providing tuition in languages or other subjects. It will be a criminal offence for a barred individual to engage in this activity and the person organising the host family placement will be required to check that the person providing the care and accommodation is registered with the new Independent Safeguarding Authority.

Schools: Overseas Visits

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What Criminal Records Bureau checks are required of families in the United Kingdom offering accommodation to children from overseas before those children can obtain visas to enter the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: One of the requirements for leave to enter as a child visitor is that suitable arrangements have been made for the child's reception and care in the UK. Charities sponsoring visit visa applications from overseas children are therefore required to provide full details of UK host families, including full details of checks carried out on the hosts. These checks must be in line with the charity's own child protection policy and any Charities Commission or devolved authority requirements, such as Criminal Record Bureau checks.

Smoking

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proposals they have to make an area around the street doors of each of their properties non-smoking.

Lord Darzi of Denham: At the department, there is a policy that smoking is not allowed anywhere within a departmental building. Smoking is not permitted in front entrances, in the area immediately adjacent to any entrance to a departmental building or near to areas where the department's logo is displayed.

Soil

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any farmer in the European Union has been prosecuted for failing to observe soil quality under the cross compliance regulations.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: None. Breaching cross-compliance would not result in a prosecution. The sanction that would be applied is a reduction in the payment received under the single payment scheme.
	The collection of data for failing to observe soil quality regulations covers a range of compliance requirements. Across member states of the European Union the collection of data is the responsibility of the European Commission and it is not easily obtainable. For the UK, the data is held at a devolved level. I will place the UK data in the House Library once it has been collated.

Somalia: Refugees

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assistance they will give to the governments of Kenya and Yemen and to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to cope with the needs of refugees arriving from Somalia; whether current assistance is sufficient; and, if not, what they will do to improve the situation.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The UK Government are not planning to provide direct assistance to the Governments of Yemen and Kenya to assist with Somalia refugees. Somali refugees are supported in Yemen by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the European Commission and the Danish Refugee Council, and in Kenya by UNHCR. The UK Government provide core funding of £19 million per year to UNHCR, and in 2007 provided €183 million (£156 million) to the EC's global humanitarian assistance funds. The UK will also provide £250,000 to a conflict mediation programme in Yemen implemented by CARE, to encourage stronger integration between refugee and host communities.
	Some 82,000 Somali refugees are currently registered with UNHCR in Yemen. The UNHCR Yemen appeal for 2009 is $32 million (£21 million). In Kenya there are now approximately 224,000 refugees. The 2009 Kenya UN Consolidated Appeal includes an appeal for $54 million (£36 million) for UNHCR. We will work with partners in both countries to ensure that critical needs are covered.

Somalia: Troops

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make representations to the Government of Ethiopia about the presence of its troops in Somalia.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Government support the Djibouti agreement as the first opportunity for many years for Somalis to bring lasting stability to their country. We have stressed to the Ethiopian Government the importance of their troops behaving in accordance with international standards in all their operations. We continue to encourage Ethiopia to work with the Somali leaders and the UN special representative of the Secretary-General to find an appropriate mechanism for managing their troops in Somalia, and enabling their withdrawal, while preventing further deterioration of the security situation and preserving the fragile progress towards peace that has been made in Djibouti.

Sudan: Asylum Seekers

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 29 October (WA 177), whether individual case records were examined during the investigation by the Home Office into the interviews of Darfuri asylum seekers in March and April 2007.

Lord West of Spithead: I can confirm that individual case records were examined during the investigation into interviews of Darfuri asylum seekers.

Sudan: Asylum Seekers

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 29 October (WA 177), how that answer relates to a statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, Meg Hillier, in a letter of 19 September 2008 that all Darfuri asylum seekers interviewed had signed a disclaimer agreeing to be interviewed by the Sudanese official.

Lord West of Spithead: The disclaimer referred to in the letter from my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Meg Hillier was a standard bio-data form used for all documentation applications where the applicants confirmed their bio-data for the purposes of redocumentation. These did not apply to the interviews about whether an individual could be redocumented and I apologise that this inaccurate information was provided. I am pleased to be able to make this clear.

Sudan: Asylum Seekers

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Home Department, Mr Phil Woolas, on 28 October (Official Report, House of Commons, 815W), whether the Statement that no Darfuri failed asylum seekers would be returned to Sudan excluded the two people referred to in the Answer who were forced to return.

Lord West of Spithead: The announcement to suspend removals of Darfuri failed asylum seekers was made by Ministers on 9 July 2008. The two individuals referred to in the Question were removed prior to that date.

Sudan: Asylum Seekers

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Home Department, Mr Phil Woolas, on 28 October (Official Report, House of Commons, 815W), what consideration was given to arranging for independent interpreters to be present during interviews between Sudanese officials and asylum seekers before 22 March 2007.

Lord West of Spithead: Before 22 March 2007, it was not usual practice for independent interpreters to be present during interviews between an individual and a representative of their own Government for the purposes of redocumentation. Following issues raised, a decision was reached with agreement from the Sudanese Government officials that an independent interpreter should be present for the remainder of the interviews to be conducted.

Taxation: Channel Islands Accounts

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What tax advantages accrue to a person residing in the United Kingdom who deposits moneys in a sterling account on the Isle of Man or Guernsey.

Lord Myners: Tax residents of the United Kingdom are, with certain exceptions, subject to UK tax on their worldwide income. The United Kingdom has recently concluded a tax information exchange agreement with the Isle of Man, which enables HMRC to obtain information from the Isle of Man, on request, for tax assessment purposes. The UK is negotiating a similar agreement with Guernsey.

Taxation: Channel Islands Accounts

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether agreements between the Manx authorities and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs provide for the disclosure of the names of all persons residing in the United Kingdom who have deposited money in sterling accounts in banks and building societies in the Isle of Man.

Lord Myners: The United Kingdom has recently concluded a tax information exchange agreement with the Isle of Man, which provides for exchange of information on individual cases on request. The UK does not have an agreement with the Isle of Man that requires it to routinely provide information on all UK tax residents with accounts in that jurisdiction.

Trade: UK Exports

Lord Vinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in view of the risk of overstating United Kingdom exports to the European Union by failing to take into account that some are in trans-shipment to other non-EU countries (the Rotterdam effect), they will take steps to ensure that this is made explicit in statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics.

Lord Patel of Bradford: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Waste Management: Reduction Schemes

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With reference to the sixth report of the Science and Technology Committee on waste reduction, whether the funding for 2008-09 for Envirowise, the Market Transformation Programme, the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme and the Waste and Resources Action Programme will come from other sources; and, if so, which.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Funding for business resource efficiency and waste activity is continuing in 2008-09 and beyond. Funding previously under the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme has been integrated with the wider range of Defra funding used in support of carbon reduction, waste reduction and recycling and improved resource efficiency.

Waste Management: Reduction Schemes

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With reference to the sixth report of the Science and Technology Committee on waste reduction, whether the 57.9 per cent cut in the Envirowise budget for 2008-09 reflects an assessment of the work of Envirowise; and, if not, what factors determined the size of the budget reduction.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The decision to reduce budgets in 2008-09 partly reflected the department's wider budgetary pressures but also the decision to be more selective in the activities that we fund. This is because we believe that the business community now increasingly understands the case for taking action to improve environmental performance. Hence we are now focusing on developing the evidence needed to catalyse change among businesses, rather than supporting profit-making business beyond that point. This is something on which Envirowise has a good track record and continues to be well placed to contribute.

Waste Management: Reduction Schemes

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With reference to the sixth report of the Science and Technology Committee on waste reduction, what is their response to the recommendation to "once again ring-fence a proportion of the landfill tax revenue to fund waste reduction initiatives".

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: All ring-fences were re-examined in the Comprehensive Spending Review and most, including the link between landfill tax and business resource efficiency expenditure, were removed. This is in line with the Government's approach to ensuring value for money from their expenditure by providing maximum flexibility and scope to prioritise. We do not plan to reinstate a ring-fence around landfill tax revenue.
	Funding for business resource efficiency and waste activity, previously under the BREW programme, is now integrated with the wider range of Defra funding used in support of carbon reduction, waste reduction and recycling and improved resource efficiency.

Waste Management: Reduction Schemes

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With reference to the sixth report of the Science and Technology Committee on waste reduction, what range of businesses, in terms of turnover, the Carbon Trust deals with; how many businesses it deals with; and what is the average payment made to the trust for their services.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Carbon Trust deals with businesses of all sizes through its range of services. These include general advice to all businesses through information resources such as a website and advice line; services for small and medium enterprises including interest-free loans for energy efficient investments; and tailored advice including on-site carbon surveys and design advice for new buildings and refurbishments.
	The Carbon Trust had direct dealings with over 4,000 businesses in 2007-08, in addition to those businesses which accessed advice through the Carbon Trust website and advice line. For those businesses which paid for the Carbon Trust's services in 2007-08, the average payment was around £6,600.